Our Favorite Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (It’s So Easy)

This strawberry rhubarb crisp is the best summer dessert ever! Fresh, juicy fruit is topped with a buttery, crumbly oat topping and is absolutely incredible with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Warning, this crisp is DANGEROUSLY good!

How I Went From Clueless About Rhubarb to Completely Obsessed

I’m spending some time here in the Midwest, and I am fully embracing the local food culture.

Out here, the arrival of spring rhubarb is practically a holiday. To be honest, I had never even tried a rhubarb crisp! But seeing how much the Midwest obsesses over this fruit, it inspired me to get into the kitchen and see what the fuss was about. Now I’m completely obsessed with it.

What Makes This Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Different

Most old-fashioned rhubarb crisps use a mountain of white sugar and a splash of lemon juice to try and tame the sour rhubarb. But because rhubarb is already super tart, adding lemon just makes it more sour, and adding too much sugar masks the beautiful fruit flavor.

As a result, in this crisp recipe, I’m using aromatic orange zest and its juice to round out the flavor naturally, meaning you can use less sugar.

• The Orange: Rhubarb and strawberries are naturally fantastic together, but the addition of orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice in this strawberry rhubarb recipe is the secret weapon here. It brightens the entire dish and cuts through the intense, heavy sweetness of the cooked fruit without making it sour.
  
• Smart Thickening (The OJ Slurry Technique): Strawberries and rhubarb release a massive wave of liquid as they bake, which can easily turn a crisp into a soggy soup. Instead of tossing dry starch over the wet fruit—which can cause chalky lumps, we dissolve the tapioca starch directly into the freshly squeezed orange juice first. This creates a perfectly smooth slurry that distributes evenly, guaranteeing a thick, lump-free juicy glaze.
  
• The Topping Texture: Using a mix of all-purpose flour, old fashioned rolled oats (whole grain) and cold, diced butter gives you that ideal combination of a crisp, buttery golden crisp topping.

The Topping is All About the Clusters

Nobody wants a powdery, sandy topping that sinks into the fruit. We want a big, rustic, crunch.

To get those giant oat clusters, just use your hands. When you add the cold, diced butter to your dry ingredients, skip the mixer. Coat the butter chunks, then literally squeeze and pinch the mixture firmly inside your fists. Press them into heavy clumps, as shown in the video below, then gently break them apart over the dish. You want big, marble-sized buttery clusters.

The Best Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

April Boller Wright

This Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is the absolute best thing since apple pie. The filling is loaded with fresh, jammy rhubarb and juicy strawberries tossed with a bright splash of orange juice, vanilla, and zest. The topping is made of delicious sweet oat clusters that firm up into a perfect crisp crust as it cools. Simple, rustic, and absolutely delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  

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Filling

• unsalted butter Butter (for greasing the baking dish)
• 5 cups fresh rhubarb cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
• 3 cups fresh strawberries hulled and quartered (leave small berries whole)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp tapioca starch or tapioca flour (they're exactly the same thing)
• 1 large orange zested and juiced (you will need all the zest + 1/3 cup of the fresh juice)
• 1 ½ tsp high-quality vanilla extract
• ½ tsp kosher salt

Rhubarb Crisp Topping

• 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats I used Bob's Red Mill
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup light brown sugar packed
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 12 tbsp cold unsalted butter diced into 1/2-inch cubes

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Instructions

 

Rhubarb Filling

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 7×11.5-inch (or 8×11-inch) rectangular baking dish with butter.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced rhubarb, strawberries, granulated sugar and vanilla extract.
• In a liquid measuring cup, whisk the tapioca starch completely into the fresh orange juice until smooth, then stir in the kosher salt. Pour this slurry over the fruit mixture, toss thoroughly until fully coated, and transfer everything into your prepared baking dish in an even layer.
• Pour the orange juice slurry over the fruit, add the fresh orange zest, and toss everything thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved and the fruit is completely coated. Transfer the mixture into your prepared baking dish in an even layer.

The Topping

• In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the dry topping ingredients: old-fashioned rolled oats, all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and kosher salt.
• Add the cold, diced unsalted butter cubes to the dry mixture.
• Toss the butter to coat it in the flour, then use your hands to firmly squeeze, rub, and pinch the butter into the oats and flour. Press handfuls together into large clumps, then gently break them apart to create heavy, distinct, marble-sized oat clusters. Scatter the chunky oat topping evenly over the entire fruit layer, ensuring the edges are well covered.
• Remove from the oven when the fruit juices are thick, syrupy, and bubbling vigorously around the edges, and the cluster topping is fully set and a deep golden brown.
• Let the crisp rest on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before serving so the glossy rhubarb sauce can finish thickening to perfection.

Video

Notes

Crucial Safety Note: Throw Away the Leaves!

If you are lucky enough to use fresh rhubarb straight from the garden or a farmer’s market with the green leaves still attached, you must cut them off and discard them immediately.

• Why remove them? Rhubarb leaves are highly toxic to both humans and pets because they contain dangerous levels of oxalic acid. Never eat them raw, cooked, or as a garnish!
• The Safe Part: Only the crisp pink and green stalks are safe, delicious, and meant for baking.

The Right Oats Matter (Skip the Instant!)

For the absolute best texture, always use old-fashioned rolled oats. I always use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats Whole Grain. (not sponsored)

• Why avoid quick or instant oats? Quick-cooking oats are chopped up much smaller and thinner. They absorb the butter way too fast, making your topping turn out powdery or soggy.
• The Old-Fashioned Advantage: Whole old-fashioned oats stay sturdy in the oven. They hold their shape and create those big, chewy, golden crumble clusters we all love!

Baking Pans & Doubling the Filling

I baked this crisp exactly as written in a 7×11.5-inch pan without placing a baking sheet underneath, and I didn’t have any issues with the fruit bubbling over the sides.

• Doubling the Fruit: I haven’t tried doubling the fruit filling for this recipe. If you decide to experiment with extra fruit, you might want to slide a sheet pan underneath the dish just in case it gets a little too crowded and bubbles over.

The 375°F Golden Crust Trick (During Baking)

Every oven runs a little differently, so keep an eye on your crumble texture near the end of the timer.

• Troubleshooting Pale Topping: If your topping doesn’t look golden enough near the end of the baking time, simply increase the oven heat to 375°F for the final 10 minutes of baking. This gives you that perfect, deep golden-brown crunch without overcooking the fruit.

Give it Time to Set (Post-Bake)

When the timer goes off and you first pull the crisp out of the oven, the topping might still feel a bit soft to the touch. Don’t worry, it’s supposed to be that way while it’s piping hot!

• The Crunch Factor: As the crisp cools on the counter, the butter will solidify, and those heavy oat clusters will firm up beautifully.
• Let it Rest: Let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes before digging in so the fruit sauce can thicken up into a perfect jammy juicy glaze.

Like this? Leave a comment below!Let us know how it was!

Love Rhubarb? Don’t Miss These Favorites!

Don’t let those leftover rhubarb stalks go to waste! From refreshing drinks to unexpected dinner ideas, here are a few more tried-and-true rhubarb recipes to try next:

• Thirsty? Sip on this refreshing Strawberry Rhubarb Soda.
• Dinner Tonight: Try this gorgeous, savory Rhubarb Salmon.
• Skip the Grill: Rhubarb BBQ Oven Baked Chicken coated in my signature Rhubarb BBQ Sauce.